Time has been called on another Royston pub after it was sold for housing.

The owners of the White Bear, on Kneesworth Street, Royston, have sold the pub to a developer, who has applied for planning permission to build two new, three-bedroom, houses on the site, with the pub to also be converted into housing.

Landlady Shirley Smeeton had run the pub for 23 years, but died last year following a long illness, leading to her family’s decision to close the pub and sell up.

Members of Royston Town Council’s planning committee gave their backing to the scheme at a meeting on Monday.

Cllr Lindsay Davidson, chair of the planning committee, said: “I’ve had a look round and at the moment there are a lot of rather untidy extensions. Under this plan we would have five houses on the site, two of which would be new.

“I think it will look a lot nicer, the White Bear has started to look very untidy recently.”

And Cllr Rod Kennedy said: “It’s sad to lose another pub but it seems that’s the way of the world now. I guess that everytime one closes it makes another pub in the town busier because customers have to go elsewhere.”

The White Bear closed earlier this month. It is the second Royston pub to be sold for development in recent months, following the North Star on Old North Road, which is also set to become housing.